Core taking device for wells



Sept. 29, 1936. J D, BRACK 2,055,648

CORE TAKING DEVICE FOR WELLS Filed May 5, 1956 J 173 rack V I r I 7 mm 3/ zmmaw Patented Sept. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to well drilling apparatile and pertains particularly to improvements in core taking devices.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of core taking opperutus for oil wells which is adapted to be introduced into the well at the end of the well' drill stem and to be operated in the starting of the core inching operation by the application to a movable element oi? the device of water pumped therelnto.

Another obiect of the invention is to provide on improved core taking device which is so clesigned the; the core can be taken with certainty hill i'rom e, p ticulsr previously selected. desired oi well The l. x..l'ltl0li'i broadly contemplates the provisiou oi elongated cylinder closed at its lower end hurl open at its upper end for attachment to the lower? of a drill stem with an open-ended t .he cscilletably mounted therein to swing through an opening in the wall of the pipe and fruicl press o octuated plunger slidably disposed shove the tube end ope-rating, when forced clownwercily by water introduced into the drill stem, to three the open end of the tube outwardly into wall oi the well hole, so that when the drill stem curl device is strewn upwardly, the core taking tube will immediately penetrcte the well of the hole to talre e semple therefrom instead oi slipping over the surface of the well hole for some distance beiore penetrating the well.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:-

Figure l is a, view in side elevation of the core taking barrel embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a, view in longitudinal section of the same, the device being shortened by breaking away portions adjacent its upper end;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed view of the open end of the core receiving tube.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral i generally designates the outside cylinder or barrel proper of the present core taking device, which comprises the tubular lower portion 2 and the interiorly threaded collar 3 upon the open upper end, by means of which h the upper end of the barrel is attached to the lower end of a well drill stem. The lower end of the barrel 2 is closed, as indicated at 3, and the wall 01' the barrel is provided with the relatively long slot (l for the purpose hereinafter de= scribed.

Extending transversely of the barrel 2 across the wall slot i and at a point approximately mid- .way between the upper and lower ends thereof,

is ,9, pin it upon which is oscillatably mounted the core receiving tube 6. The end of the tube 6 which is mounted upon the pin 5 is closed, while the opposite end is opened and is cut obliquely, indicated at l, to form the penetrating edge or point This tube 6 preferably is divided at the point 9, so that there is thus formed the outer end portion 6' which is detachably coupled with the main body portion and which may be readily repleced when the outer edge becomes damaged or when replacement for any other reason is necessary.

When the sample taking tube 6 is in the raised position illustrated in Figure 1, the penetrating point will lie outside of the slotted area i and the tube will be held in this raised position by the free lower end of the leaf spring ill, which is secured to the wall of the barrel above the slot t by the cap screws ii. The free lower end ofv the leaf spring ill extends into the open end oi the tube 6 and engages in the ring i2, which is secured within the removable portion 6 of the tube and which has the inwardly extending and converging resilient fingers l3 formed integral therewith. These fingers permit a core of earth to move into the tube but will prevent it slipping out therefrom when the tube is hanging down or in reversed position from the way it is illustrated in Figure 2. This position isassumed by the tube when the barrel is withdrawn from the well hole after a core has been taken.

The tube 6 may also be divided adjacent its inner or pivoted end, as indicated at M, so that the central part thereof can be detached from the part which is mounted upon the pin 5, as well as from the outer end portion 6.

The barrel 2 is provided with a pair of inwardly extending pins [5 which are secured in the wall thereof above the opening 4 and which have their inner ends in spaced relation within the barrel, as shown in Figure 2, and above these 55 pins l5 are two other pins, each of which is indicated by the numeral i6 and which extend inwardly in more closely spaced relation than the spaced ends oi. the pins l5.

Extending longitudinally withinthe barrel 2 adjacent the upper end of the slot 4, is a reciprocating pin H, which carries upon its lower end the downwardly tapering head l8, which lies below and has its upward movement limited by the pins 15. This head normally is positioned at the very top of the opening 4 with its tapered downwardly directed face in contact with the upper end of the core tube 8.

Surrounding the reciprocating pin H is a sleeve l9 which maintains in spaced relation with the head IS, a disk 20 which snugly fits within the barrel 2 and which is covered upon its upper side by a gasket or washer 2i and these, the disk 20 and washer 2|, are secured in place against the end of the sleeve l9 by the nut 22.

Encircling the sleeve I9 and bearing at one end against the upper pair of pins 16 and at its other end against the underside of the disk 20, is a. coil expansion spring 23, which normally tends, due to its constant tendency to expand between the pins I6 and the disk 20, to draw the camming head l8 to the limit of its position upwardly.

In the operation of the present core taking device, the upper end thereof is attached to a drill stem, as previously described, and the device at the lower end of the drill stem is lowered into the well hole or bore to the depth at which it is desired to take a sample of the earth forming the wall of the bore. The pump mechanism by ,which the flushing or wash water is ordinarily pumped through the drill stem, is then started so as to pump water downwardly against the piston-like upper end of the reciprocable unit lying in the barrel above the tube 6, so as to force this unit downwardly and force the head l8 against the tube 6, so that the pointed upper end 8 will be forced out and into the wall of the drill hole. The drill stem and core barrel are then raised so that the pointed end of the core taking tube will be forced laterally further into the wall of the hole and a specimen of the formation will be forced into the core past the resilient holding fingers l3. Continued upward movement of the core barrel will swing the tube 6 down to a hanging position and at the same time withdraw it from the wall of the bore until the tube will occupy the hanging position illustrated in broken lines in Figure 2 and the entire device may then be withdrawn from the well, the sample of the wall formation being securely held in the tube 6 by the fingers l3.

From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that the device embodying the present invention has the advantage over other devices designed for a similar purpose of being positive in its action so that when a sample is taken from a well, there will be no doubt of the depth at which the sample was extracted for the reason that the pointed end of the core tube will be made to enter the wall formation while the barrel is stationary, by the forcing of fluid down against the tube actuating unit, and when the device is withdrawn, the tube will not slip from position but will immediately penetrate the wall at the desired location.

What is claimed is:--

1. A core taking device for drilled wells, comprising a tubular body having one end closed and having the other end open, means facilitating the attachment of the open end to the lower end of a drill stem, the body having a longitudinal wall opening, a core tube oscillatably secured in the barrel at one end and having its other end open, the said tube being oscillatable from the barrel through the wall opening thereof from an upwardly extending to a depending position, and means within the core barrel above the tube for forcing the tube from the upwardly extending position downwardly under the urge of fluid introduced through the drill stem.

2. A core taking device for drilled wells, comprising an elongated tubular barrel having one end closed and having its other end opened, the said open end being adapted for attachment to the lower end of a drill stem, said barrel having a longitudinally extending wall opening, a core taking tube having an open end and formed at said end to provide a penetrating, point, means pivotally coupling the other end of the tube in the barrel whereby the tube is adapted to swing from an upwardly directed position in said well opening to a depending position within the barrel, a reciprocable unit within the barrel above the tube and including a piston disk snugly engaging the inner wall of the barrel, and a cam head below the disk, said cam head being adapted to engage the tube adjacent its open end when the latter is directed upwardly in the wall opening,

3. A core taking device for drilled wells, comprising an elongated tubular barrel having one end closed and having its other end open, the said open end being adapted for attachment to the lower end of a drill stem, said barrel having a longitudinally extending wall opening, a core taking tube having an open end and formed at said end to provide a penetrating point, means pivotally coupling the other end of the tube in the barrel whereby the tube is adapted to swing from an upwardly directed position in said wall opening to a depending position within the barrel, a reciprocable unit within the barrel above the tube and including'a piston disk snugly engaging the inner wall of the barrel, a cam head below the disk, said cam head being adapted to engage the tube adjacent its open end when the latter is directed upwardly in the wall opening, and resilient means carried by the wall of the barrel and engageable in the open end of the tube to maintain the latter in the said upwardly directed position.

4. A core taking device for drilled wells, comprising a barrel having an open end adapted for attachment to the lower end of a drill stem, said barrel having a longitudinal wall opening, a core taking tube, means pivotally securing the tube at one end within the barrel whereby the tube may oscillate through the wall opening from a raised upwardly directed position to a depending position, a resilient finger secured to the barrel and engageable in the other end of the tube to maintain the latter in raised position, the said other end of the tube being open to receive a core, reciprocable means in the upperpart of the barrel for forcing an initial movement of the tube outwardly from its raised position, said open end of the tube being formed to provide a penetrating point.

5. A core taking device for drilled wells, comprising a barrel having an open end adapted for attachment to the lower end of a drill stem, said barrel having a longitudinal wall opening, a core taking tube, means pivotally securing the tube at one end within the barrel whereby the tube may oscillate through the wall opening from a raised upwardly directed position to a depending position, a resilient finger secured to the barrel and engageable in the other end of the tube to maintain the latter in raised position, the said other end of the tube being open to re-' ceive a core, reciprocablemeans in the upper part of the barrel for forcing an initial movement of the tube outwardly from its raised position, said open end of the tube being formed to provide a penetrating point, and resilient means disposed within the tube adjacent the open end thereof for preventing the escape of a core from the tube when the latter is in depending position.

6. A core taking device for drilled wells, comprising a barrel having an open end adapted for attachment to the lower end of a drill stem, the barrel having a longitudinally extending wall opening, a core taking tube adapted to move through said wall opening, pivotal means securing the tube within the barrel adjacent the transverse center of the wall opening permitting the tube to oscillate in the opening from an upwardly extending position to a depending position'in the barrel, the tube at its other end being open to receive a core, a unit having iree reciprocable movement in the barrel adjacent the upper end of said wall opening comprising a piston disk reciprocable in the barrel, and a camming head connected in spaced relation with the disk and engageable with thetube when the latter is in raised position, and resilient means for releasably holding the tube in said raised position.

7. A core taking device for drilled wells, comprising a barrel having an open end adapted for attachment to the lower end of a drill stem, the barrel having a longitudinally extending wall opening, a core taking tube adapted to move through said wall opening, pivotal means securing the tube within the barrel adjacent the transverse center of the wallopening permitting the tube to oscillate in the opening from an upwardly extendingposition to a depending position in the barrel, the tube at its other end being open to receive a core, a unit having free reciprocable movement in the barrel adjacent the upper end of said wall opening, comprising a piston disk reciprocable in the barrel, a camming head connected in spaced relation with the disk and engageable with the tube when the latter is in raised position, resilient means for releasably holding the tube in said raised position, and spring means within the barrel for normally urging said unit to move upwardly away from contact with the sampling tube.

8. A core taking device for drill wells, comprising a barrel having an open and formed for attachment to the lower end of a drill stem, the barrel having a longitudinal wall opening, a core tube adapted to move through said opening and having an open end for receiving a core, means oscillatably securing the other end of the tube within the barrel whereby the tube may swing from a raised upwardly extending position to a position where it depends within the barrel, a reciprocable pin disposed longitudinally within the barrel adjacent the upper end oi the wall opening, a downwardly tapering cam head carried by the lower end of said reciprocabie pin for engagement with the tube at its open end when the tube is raised, a piston disk carried by the reciprocable pin in spaced relation with the head and snugly working in the barrel, a spring surrounding said reciprocable pin and having one end engaging said disk, means carried by the wall 01' the bearing against which the other end of the spring engages, the spring normally tending to draw the disk and cam-head upwardly, and spring means adapted to releasably hold the core tube in raised position in the said wall opening.

JOHN D. BRACK. 

